Festivals and live music are a big contributor to the UK’s economy, generating £8 billion and attracting 19 million visitors and sustaining 62,000 job roles.
Despite this, 39 UK festivals have already cancelled this year, with 249 gone since Covid.
But why, and why does it matter? ITV‘s Nick Smith delves into this issue in his latest report, speaking to a range of attendees and organisers, including our team at We Group.
Speaking to the journalist on site in Central London, We Group CEO Nick Morgan and Festival Production Director Millie Devereux delved into the challenges independent festivals face, the consequences of cancellations, and what we can do about it.
A huge thanks to ITV for providing this with the extensive coverage it not only deserves, but needs. Continued loss of independent culture would be a huge loss to all of us, for so many reasons (watch the report to find out!)
Festivals need urgent support from the government and with Association of Independent Festivals, we are calling for a Music Tax Relief, supporting festivals under 30,000 capacity with tax relief on eligible expenditure towards the creative and music elements that make up micro and small events. Please share this far and wide to gather support.
Moreover, we can all continuing supporting the cause in our own way – attending independent festivals and grassroots venues, sharing these experiences with friends, and celebrating the amazing array of music, art and culture we have in the UK.
You can watch the mini documentary on ITV X now by clicking this link.
